Despite its negative impact on performances because of lower protein and energy digestibility, increasing attention has been paid in the past decade to dietary fibre in swine nutrition due to its multiple ... [more ▼]

Despite its negative impact on performances because of lower protein and energy digestibility, increasing attention has been paid in the past decade to dietary fibre in swine nutrition due to its multiple functionalities. The present review examines the influence of dietary fibre on the digestive processes and the consequences on pig protein and energy nutrition, health concerns and environmental issues. Dietary fibre is defined as the plant polysaccharides that are resistant to digestive secretions and are potentially available for bacterial fermentation in the intestines of single-stomached animals. Resistant starch is also considered as a dietary fibre. The short-chain fatty acids released by bacteria contribute to the host energy supply and both regulate the composition of the flora and the growth of epithelial cells, especially in the case of butyrate. The bacterial growth supported by the fermentation induces a shift of N excretion from urine to faeces. Beside the fermentability, the physical properties of dietary fibre such as the water-holding capacity, the viscosity and the solubility influence the digestion, the satiety and the transit time. In relationship with the mechanisms of dietary fibre interaction with the digestive processes exposed in this review, the opportunities and treats of dietary fibre inclusion in swine rations for intensified and for more extensive tropical production systems are discussed. Dietary fibre is indeed a possible means to reduce nitrogen losses of production units and to improve pig intestinal health and animal welfare. Finally, the potential role of in vitro fermentation methods to investigate the fate of dietary fibre in the digestive system is discussed. [less ▲]

Iodine (I) deficiency is commonly reported in cattle around the world and is often associated with clinical or sub-clinical diseases. As most of clinical signs are not pathognomonic, diagnosis has to be ... [more ▼]

Iodine (I) deficiency is commonly reported in cattle around the world and is often associated with clinical or sub-clinical diseases. As most of clinical signs are not pathognomonic, diagnosis has to be confirmed by biochemical analyses such as plasmatic inorganic iodine (PII) or urinary I. Different oral mineral forms of I are available in Europe for cattle. The aim of the study was to compare the kinetic of I in blood and urine in non-lactating cows, following oral administration of different forms of I. Five groups of 6 non-lactating cows (aged 6 ± 2 years, weight 604 ± 89 kg), receiving the same ration (11 kg dry matter) and housed in the same conditions (tied-stall and straw) underwent a double-blinded trial during 2 months. Excepting in Group A (Control), all cows received a daily oral supplementation of I equal to 5 ppm, in the form of Ca(IO3)2 (Group B), KI (Group C), organic form of I 1 (Group D) and organic form of I 2 (Group E). Formulas of the organic forms of I are not public and coverable by patent. Supplementation was stopped at T45. Blood and urine samples were taken at T0, T15, T30 and T60. Thyroxine (T4) was measured at T0, T30 and T60 while PII and urinary I were measured at the 4 times of the trial. Student-t test and multiple comparisons of means (mix crossed model) were used to compare I and T4 concentrations between groups and times. All characteristics about the cows and I levels in blood or urine were not significantly different at T0 (p>0.1). There was no significant difference (p>0.1) between groups B, C, D, E at the different times of the trial. PII and urinary I in Group A were significantly lower than in other groups (p<0.01) at T15 and T30. Highest concentrations of I (PII up to 242 ± 30 µg/L and urinary I up to 2326 ± 439 µg/L) were reached at T15 for groups B, D and E. At T60, PII (19 ± 4 µg/L) and urinary I (110 ± 29 µg/L) of all groups reached the basal level. A good correlation was found between PII and urinary I (r² = 0.77). No significant differences were found about T4 (67 ± 10 nmol/L) in all groups and times (p>0.1). PII and urinary I are good markers to assess I nutritional status. No difference was found between either inorganic or organic forms of I, nor between them. Concerning the mineral forms of I, Ca(IO3)2 might be preferably used because of its higher stability in the mineral complexes. [less ▲]

BACKGROUND: The coverage of preschool preventive medical visits in developing countries is still low. Consequently, very few children benefit from continuous monitoring during the first 5 years of life ... [more ▼]

BACKGROUND: The coverage of preschool preventive medical visits in developing countries is still low. Consequently, very few children benefit from continuous monitoring during the first 5 years of life. OBJECTIVE: To assess community volunteers' effectiveness in monitoring the growth of preschool-age children in a context of endemic malnutrition and armed conflict. METHODS: Community volunteers were selected by village committees and trained to monitor children's growth in their respective villages. Community volunteers monitored 5479 children under 5 years of age in the Lwiro Health Sector of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from January 2004 to December 2005 under the supervision of the district health office. Children's weight was interpreted according to weight-for-age curves drawn on the growth sheet proposed by the World Health Organization and adopted by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. RESULTS: During the 2-year program, the volunteers weighed children under 5 years of age monthly. The median percentage of children weighed per village varied between 80% and 90% for children of 12-59 months, and 80% and 100% for children of less than 12 months even during the conflict period. The median percentage of children between 12 and 59 months of age per village ranked as highly susceptible to malnutrition by the volunteers decreased from 4.2% (range, 0% to 35.3%) in 2004 to 2.8% (range, 0.0% to 18.9%) in 2005. CONCLUSIONS: The decentralization of weighing of children to the community level could be an alternative for improving growth monitoring of preschool-age children in situations of armed conflict or political instability. This option also offers an opportunity to involve the community in malnutrition care and can be an entry point for other public health activities. [less ▲]

Aquatic ferns (AFs) such as Azolla filiculoides and Salvinia molesta are grown on swine lagoons in the tropics and used in diets for pigs. The present work is aimed at evaluating their potential as feed ... [more ▼]

Aquatic ferns (AFs) such as Azolla filiculoides and Salvinia molesta are grown on swine lagoons in the tropics and used in diets for pigs. The present work is aimed at evaluating their potential as feed ingredients for sows. When presented with ad libitum AFs, gilts weighing 110 ± 14 kg (mean ± SD), were able to ingest 9.1–9.7 kg fresh AF per day (from 597 to 630 g dry matter (DM) per day) and from 1240 to 1428 g DM per day when presented in a dry, ground form. A digestibility study was conducted, using sows weighing 213 ± 9 kg (mean ± SD), which were fed diets containing maize, soybean meal and 0, 150 or 300 g AF kg−1 diet. The presence of AFs had a negative impact on the faecal digestibility of the crude protein, NDF and energy content of the whole diet (P<0.001) and on the ileal protein digestibility, especially with 300 g AFs kg−1 diet. The level of AFs in the diet had no effect on stomach weight (P>0.05) but increased the weight of the rest of the gastrointestinal tract (P<0.001). The rate of AF fibre fermentation in the pig large intestine was measured using an in vitro gas test. The rates were much lower than tropical tree foliage, which can also be used in pig diets in the tropics. This could partly explain the low apparent digestibility of AFs in pigs. In conclusion, the inclusion level of AFs in rations for sows should be limited to 150 g AFs kg−1 diet due to the low digestibility and energy density, as well as the negative impact on the digestibility of the whole diet. [less ▲]

Foliar analysis was undertaken in two plots of Picea abies (L.) Karst., located in a watershed of Haute Ardenne, Belgium, in order to estimate the decline of the trees. Apart from a general Mg deficiency ... [more ▼]

Foliar analysis was undertaken in two plots of Picea abies (L.) Karst., located in a watershed of Haute Ardenne, Belgium, in order to estimate the decline of the trees. Apart from a general Mg deficiency, the concentrations of the needles were in the same range as those determined in other European stands. Comparisons between healthy and declining trees within each plot revealed a general pattern of decline similar to that observed elsewhere in Western Europe. This was shown as lower Ca, Mg, Zn concentrations and water content and higher N and P concentrations of the needles collected from declining trees. It is concluded that this decline could be due to N over fertilization by the atmospheric deposition. The difference of decline between the two plots was attributed to the turnover rate of the soil organic layer which was less intensive in the most damaged plot. [less ▲]

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in adipose tissue development in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: Transgenic (Tg) mice ... [more ▼]

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in adipose tissue development in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: Transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing murine PAI-1 under control of the adipocyte promoter aP2 and wild-type (WT) controls were kept on standard food (SFD) or on high-fat diet (HFD) for 15 weeks. The body weight and the weight of the isolated subcutaneous and gonadal fat deposits of the Tg mice kept on the HFD were significantly lower than those of the WT mice. The number of adipocytes in the adipose tissue was similar for Tg and WT mice on the HFD, but adipocyte hypotrophy and a significantly lower ratio of stroma cells/adipocytes were observed in the Tg mice. A significant negative correlation (P<0.01) was observed between expression of preadipocyte factor-1, which blocks adipocyte differentiation, and adipose tissue weight. Fasting insulin and total cholesterol levels on the HFD were lower in Tg than in WT mice. CONCLUSIONS: High circulating PAI-1 levels attenuate nutritionally induced obesity. This may be related to modifications in adipose tissue cellularity affecting weight and plasma metabolic parameters. [less ▲]

Incorporation of forages in the diets can improve the economics of smallholder pig production in tropical countries. However, the information on the nutritive value of fibrous crop by-products and forages ... [more ▼]

Incorporation of forages in the diets can improve the economics of smallholder pig production in tropical countries. However, the information on the nutritive value of fibrous crop by-products and forages species used as ingredients in pig diets is scarce. The present work aimed at measuring the chemical composition and the nutritive value using an in vitro model of the pig gastro-intestinal tract of 21 ingredients used by farmers in the province of Bas-Congo (D.R. Congo). [less ▲]